Liquid coating composition



l1 atented Dec. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE No Drawing. Application February 11, 1937, Serial'No. 125,301

2 Claims.

This invention relates to liquid coating compositions, and more particularly to liquid coating compositions of the quick drying variety, which after application to asurface will present 5 a hard, durable andrelatively smooth finish of low frictional characteristics.

While the liquid coating composition of the present invention may be used in coating various surfaces for other and sundry purposes, it has been found to be particularly eflicient in its application to the bottom surfaces of skis and similar surfaces, adapted to slide over snow andice.

In this connection it may be stated that it has long been the desire of those who enjoy winter sports, and in particular, those who indulge in the sport of skiing, to obtain a'dressing for the bottom or gliding surfaces of skis which will give said skis maximum speed over-the snow and ice covered ground; furthermore a dressing of durable and long lasting qualifications; and moreover a dressing which when applied will materially reduce the coeflicient of friction between the gliding surfaces of the skis and the surface of the ice or snow, and this under practically all conditions which the snow covered ground assumes.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to produce a liquid coating composition that can be easily applied to ski surfaces and the like, which will quickly dry into a smooth, slippery finish, capable of materially reducing the coeflicient of friction between the ski and the snow.

Another object of this invention is tov produce a liquid coating composition that will rapidly dry into a tough durable and long lasting finish.

A further and important object of the invention is to produce a durable ski dressing which will efficiently increase the gliding speed of the ski over the snow or ice covered ground under practically all snow conditions.

Also it is an important object of this invention to provide a liquid coating composition which will give the ski a somewhat roughened surface 45 whch is very fast in all snow conditions and especially good for wet snow.

And another object of the invention is the pro-' vision of such a liquid coating composition which when applied to ski surfaces results in an excellent base for all soft waxes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specifi cation.

In carrying out the invention, I employ Cellu- 55 loid (black scrap cellulose nitrate preferably);

a solvent for the Celluloid, preferably acetone; shellac; and graphite.

While the proportions of the above ingredients may be quite widely varied and still produce an efficient coating composition of low frictional 5 characteristics, it has been found that best results are obtainable when the composition consists of the following ingredients, combined as hereinafter set forth, in substantially the proportions stated, namely: 10

Celluloid unce..- V Acetone pint 5/ Shellac (in i4, Powdered graphite ounce.. 1 5 m In combining these ingredients while the same may all be placed in a mixing vat at the same time, it is preferred to first dissolve the Celluloid (black scrap cellulose nitrate) in the acetone, or other suitable solvent. To this solution then 20 added shellac and the finely powdered graphite and the resulting liquid composition thoroughly mixed.

While the above ingredients have been found to produce the most favorable results,,it is to be 25 understood that I do not intend or desire to limit myself solely to the use of acetone for'dissolving the Celluloid, but it is to be considered within the spirit of this invention to substitute for the acetone any suitable solvent for Celluloid, such'as o ether and the like, capable of producing the desirable results. Acetone is preferred for the reason it is an excellent solvent for Celluloid, quite volatile and relatively inexpensive as. compared with other solvents.

The shellac used in my invention may be either white or orange shellac depending on the color of the coating desired. Although the said shellac thins the composition to some extent, its primary purpose is to render the compositionadherent, thereby reducing the tendency for the finish to crack and chip under hard usage. It is to be. considered within the spirit of this invention to substitute for the shellac in the above forng ula,

. any suitable thinning agent that will produce the same result. K

The Celluloid isbelieved to give to the coating I the quality of toughness and durability that renders this composition more effective than other preparations heretofore used. Black scrap cellulose nitrate has been found to be the best form of Celluloid mus where a relative dark coating composition is desired. A dark finish on a white surface of wood readily discloses any scratches in the finish.

- types of frozen surfaces at a greater rate of speed s The finely powdered graphite is the lubricant for the composition combining with the other ingredients to produce the smooth gliding surface.

The graphite used in the above formula is in finely powdered form and is thoroughly incorporated and mixed throughout-the composition. While this ingredient is .an esential lubricant aiding in producing a relatively slippery coating, itsprimary importance is in minutely roughening the surface of the coating for the purpose to be set forth below. Obviously, it is to be considered within the scope of this invention to employ substitutes for the finely divided graphite capable of producing the same result in the coating, namely, minutely roughening the surface.

It isrecognized by those skilled in the art of skiing that the condition of the snow has a great deal-to do with the ease-and speed with which the ski moves over the snow; that is to say whether the snow is dry, wet, granular, powdered, etc.

Many ski dressings, waxes and the like, have been heretofore used, and while inv certain types of snows a particular dressing has given excellent results, it has been found that under other snow conditions the said dressing has been of little, if any, value. There has, therefore, arisen, together with the popularity of the sport of skiing, the demand for a ski dressing that will perform to a greater degree in giving satisfactory results in practically all types of snows. The herein set forth composition produces a dressing that remthan if the coating was extremely smooth and not so roughened.

This particular type of snow occurs-in the spring of the year, when the temperature is just below freezing. Under these conditions the snow melts, but promptly freezes again as a result of a slight breeze, usually prevalent at that time of the year. A ski surface under ordinary conditions of use, will pack this type of snow into a very smooth and icy surface somewhat resembling glass in appearance and smoothness. Now it has been determined that a. ski dressing which presents an absolutely smooth finish to this type of snow surface is less effective in increasing the speed of the ski than a dressing presenting a slightly'rough- The minute particles of graphite intermixed throughout the coating sufiiciently roughen the outer surface of the same to admit air between the ski and this type of snow surface, thus eliminating the creation of a partial vacuum with its consequent drag effect.

In actual use in its application to the surface of skis, this liquid coating composition as a general all-around ski dressing for all types of snows has been found to be far superior in its characteristics and the results obtained to other preparations and waxes now generally used for this purpose. Not

only does this composition greatly reduce the resistance offered by the snow and ice to the ski, and consequently materially increase the speed with which the ski glides over the frozen surface, but it also forms a hard, tough, yet relatively smooth and glossy coating of long wearing quality and durability, even though subjected to rough treatment.

Before the application of the composition, the ski surface should first be cleaned of all foreign matter and preferably sandpapered across the grain of the wood. The composition may then be painted on the surface by brush or other means, best results being obtained by making four or five applications at fifteen minute intervals. After a. drying period of approximately one hour, the results obtained will be greatly improved if the coating is rubbed down lightly with steel wool.

In addition to being an excellent general ski dressing, my composition may be ideally utilized as a base for all soft waxes. This is due to the durable and tough character of the composition, which will materially increase the life of the wax.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention'may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A liquid ski dressing capable of drying into a hard, adherent and relatively smooth surface universally adaptable to all types of snow conditions, comprising the following ingredients in substantially the proportions stated, viz: ounce Celluloid; %.Pint acetone; Y pint shellac; and ounce powdered graphite, said graphite being thoroughly incorporated throughout said compo sition to minutely roughen the surface of the coating sufficiently to allow air to enter between the coating and the snow surface.

2. A liquid ski dressing of low frictional char-" 'acteristics comprising Celluloid, a solvent for graphite, I

said Celluloid, shellac and finely divided the ingredients being incorporated in sufilcient proportions to produce a quick drying composition of hard durable characteristics and resistant to cracking and chipping, with said finely divided graphite thoroughly incorporated throughout the composition and of such a character as to minutely roughen the surface of the coating sufliciently to prevent the creation of a partial vacuum between the surface of the coating and the snow under certain climatic conditions without appreciably reducing the effectiveness of the dressing under other climatic conditions.

JAMES E. FLINT. 

